Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1887-06-16
SET IN DIAMONDS.
BY Charlotte M. Braeme.
CHAPTER XXI-CoNTINUED.


charge of your daughter and heiress. I"
Then he reused himself to what was
passing.
"Give me that letter." he said in a
voice of thunder.
She held it out to him and he read it
once more.
1t is the letter of an innocent wo-
man." he cried.
Lady Perth laughed.
"Do you read these words?" she said.
Il would rather be tortured to death
than go through the Divorce Court
If she were an innocent woman, if she
had done no wrong, why should she
think or speak of the Divorce Court?
A guilty conscience needs no accusing.
She knew when she wrote those lines
that, when l told you what l had to
tell, you must divorce her. She takes
Ii for granted, and yeu call that woman
innocent. Great Heaven! how can you
be so blind?'
The pain and the pallor deepened on
his face, the words smite him like the
hot sting of lash; he could stake his
soul that they were, false, yet they
sound SO horribly true. Before he has
time to answer there is a sound of some
confusion in the passage outside, fol-
lowed by quick, sharp rap at the door.
Lord Stair can not speak, but Lady
Perth says to herself quickly.
"This is news of her." and In voice
from which all emotion Is carefully OBJ
liberated, she bids the person enter.
Groves, the butler. comes in with a
shocked pale face, and looks helplessly
from one to another.
"What is it Groves?" asks Lord Stair,
ha nl. 4 "a hos 81 .
pallor of fear. "What is the natter"
"Mv lord, there is messenger from
Clitfe Railway Station, waiting to see
you-waiting for you,"
"Clifle Railway station" repeated
Lord Stair. Il I can not see any one.
Groves. Say that | am engaged"
But Groves did not bow as usual
and retire with the message; he looked
still more distressed.
"My lord" he said. "there has been
an accident on the line-and-your
lordship is wanted there"
1T can not concern me, and | am en-
gagged" was the impatient reply.
IL am sorry to say that il does con-
Germ you, my lord, and that you must
go tn ere"
Still no faint perception of the truth
came to him, but Lady Perth came
forward. {.
"What is it Groves? Speak out Why
is Lord Stair wanted because of an ac-
cident on the liner"
The expression of the old mans face
seemed to answer her, her keen instinct
OWNED what had happened or some
thing near it.
us it Lady Stair-anything about
Lady Starr"
"Yes my lady," and the old man
said no more.
There was eager, hungry curiosity on
Lady Perth's face as she seized her
brothers arm.
"Come, Douglas" she cried, 'we
must see what is the matter"
But all strength seemed to have
died from those strong limbs, Lord Stair
fell back in one ofthe easy-chairs.
"YOu must send the messenger to
me-" he gasped. 1 will see him here"
Another minute and railway porter,
cap in hand, stood before him, aman
who had evidently walked hard and
fast, who looked tremulous and agita-
ted. He looked from the white face of
Lord Stair to the proud cold face Of
Lady Perth, and seemed as though he
did not know which of the two to
address.
"You want Lord STAIR" cried Lady
Perth; what have you to say to him?"
The cold metallic sound of her voice
seemed to restore the man to self
possession.
1.-The station-master has sent me, my
lord to tell you that there has been q
terrible accident in Estham Tunnel
and-and that Lady Stair-was travel
ing by that train-the train from
Cliffe."
SPY the same train which met with
the accident, do you mean?" asked
Lady Perth sharply.
by the same train, my lady," re-
piled the man.
ais she hurt?" was the next eager
question.
at is worse than that" replied the
man. "The station-master told me
was to say nothing; and indeed l do
not quite know what has happened to
Lady Stair. was to say nothing, but
to ask Lord Stair to come to the station
at once"
81 will. go at once" said Lord Stair:
but before he gave any orders, he care
fully folded the letter and pull it in his
pocket.
1t was to see light in the after years
under very different circumstances.
Then he stood up erect and strong,
all the bravery Of his manhood returned
to him, there was no more hesitation.
Something was wrong with his beauti-
full young wife; there had been an acct
dent, and she was hurt; he would re-
member nothing but that. All Lady
Perth's hard words. all the story of
Captain Este, even the memory of the
letter lying folded in his breast pocket
died away-he remembered only that
he had been sent for to Cliff Station,
where he was wanted
"Worse than hurt!' that was nom
sense-she could not be worse than
hurt.
He gave the man a handsome gra-
tuity. In less than ten minutes the
swiftest horses in the stable, with the
lightest carriage we're ready to start.
"Let me go with you, Douglass"
said Lady Perth.
He never even heard the question; he
took no heed when he saw her In the
carriage. The night was cold, the skies
dark, the wind blew; there was no COM
fort on the cold earth or In the dark
heavens. Lord Stair had but one
thought was how quickly the horses
could go. The ring OF the horses hoofs
over the hard ground was the only
sound that broke the silence.
Once Lord Stair looked up at the
dark skies with q prayer on his lips;